David Norris (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Admiral David Thomas Norris CB
CMG
(27 October 1875 – 19 July 1937) was a British
Royal Navy
officer.
Norris was the son of Mr Justice Norris, a judge of the Calcutta High Court
. He was educated at Clifton College
, and joined HMS Britannia
as a Naval Cadet at the age of 13, being promoted Midshipman
two years later.
Promoted Lieutenant
in November 1896, he specialised in gunnery, and served as gunnery officer in the battleship
HMS Vengeance
on the China Station
. He was promoted Commander
in December 1907 and in 1908 became flag commander to the Commander-in-Chief China Station. He then served as executive officer
of HMS Dominion, followed by HMS Superb
, both in the Home Fleet.
Norris was promoted Captain
shortly before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 and took command of the armed merchant cruiser HMS Arlanza with the 10th Cruiser Squadron. After two years he was posted to the Air Department of the Admiralty
in London
, where he was in charge of naval airship
s, and in 1918 he was appointed Commodore 2nd Class
and Senior Naval Officer of the Persian Gulf
division of the East Indies Station
. In 1918, he reached Enzeli on the Caspian Sea
with a small party of officers and men and set about collecting and arming merchant vessels for use in the Russian Civil War
. By the end of October he had four vessels, to which were added some coastal motorboat
s and an air unit. On 21 May 1919, with six armed merchant vessels, he attacked thirty Bolshevik
vessels and destroyed fourteen of them. For his services in the Caspian he was mentioned in dispatches
twice, appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in March 1919 and Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1920 New Year Honours.
From 1920 to 1921 he was head of the British Naval Mission to Persia, and in 1922 he became Director of the Trade Division of the Naval Staff. In 1924 he took command of the battleship HMS Valiant
in the Home Fleet, but in October 1924 he was promoted Rear-Admiral in the 1st Battle Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet, a position he held until September 1927. He retired on promotion to Vice-Admiral in October 1929 and was promoted Admiral
on the retired list in October 1933.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(27 October 1875 – 19 July 1937) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer.
Norris was the son of Mr Justice Norris, a judge of the Calcutta High Court
Calcutta High Court
The Calcutta High Court is the oldest High Court in India. It was established as the High Court of Judicature at Fort William on 1 July 1862 under the High Courts Act, 1861. It has jurisdiction over the state of West Bengal and the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The High Court...
. He was educated at Clifton College
Clifton College
Clifton College is a co-educational independent school in Clifton, Bristol, England, founded in 1862. In its early years it was notable for emphasising science in the curriculum, and for being less concerned with social elitism, e.g. by admitting day-boys on equal terms and providing a dedicated...
, and joined HMS Britannia
HMS Prince of Wales (1860)
HMS Prince of Wales was one of six 121-gun screw-propelled first-rate three-decker line-of-battle ships of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 January 1860...
as a Naval Cadet at the age of 13, being promoted Midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
two years later.
Promoted Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in November 1896, he specialised in gunnery, and served as gunnery officer in the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
HMS Vengeance
HMS Vengeance (1899)
HMS Vengeance was a Royal Navy predreadnought battleship of the Canopus class.-Technical Characteristics:HMS Vengeance was laid down by Vickers at Barrow-in-Furness on 23 August 1898 and launched on 25 July 1899. Her completion was delayed by damage to the fitting-out dock, and she was not...
on the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
. He was promoted Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in December 1907 and in 1908 became flag commander to the Commander-in-Chief China Station. He then served as executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
of HMS Dominion, followed by HMS Superb
HMS Superb (1907)
HMS Superb was a of the British Royal Navy. She was built in Elswick at a cost of £1,744,287, and was completed on 19 June 1909. She was only the fourth dreadnought-type battleship to be completed anywhere in the world, being preceded only by and by her two sister-ships and -Origin:The advent of...
, both in the Home Fleet.
Norris was promoted Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
shortly before the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 and took command of the armed merchant cruiser HMS Arlanza with the 10th Cruiser Squadron. After two years he was posted to the Air Department of the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he was in charge of naval airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
s, and in 1918 he was appointed Commodore 2nd Class
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
and Senior Naval Officer of the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
division of the East Indies Station
East Indies Station
The East Indies Station was a formation of the British Royal Navy from 1865 to 1941.From 1831 to 1865 the East Indies and the China Station were a single command known as the East Indies and China Station...
. In 1918, he reached Enzeli on the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
with a small party of officers and men and set about collecting and arming merchant vessels for use in the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
. By the end of October he had four vessels, to which were added some coastal motorboat
Motorboat
A motorboat is a boat which is powered by an engine. Some motorboats are fitted with inboard engines, others have an outboard motor installed on the rear, containing the internal combustion engine, the gearbox and the propeller in one portable unit.An inboard/outboard contains a hybrid of a...
s and an air unit. On 21 May 1919, with six armed merchant vessels, he attacked thirty Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
vessels and destroyed fourteen of them. For his services in the Caspian he was mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
twice, appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in March 1919 and Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1920 New Year Honours.
From 1920 to 1921 he was head of the British Naval Mission to Persia, and in 1922 he became Director of the Trade Division of the Naval Staff. In 1924 he took command of the battleship HMS Valiant
HMS Valiant (1914)
HMS Valiant was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the British Royal Navy. She was laid down at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan on 31 January 1913 and launched on 4 November 1914...
in the Home Fleet, but in October 1924 he was promoted Rear-Admiral in the 1st Battle Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet, a position he held until September 1927. He retired on promotion to Vice-Admiral in October 1929 and was promoted Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
on the retired list in October 1933.